Professional Conduct
by Boondock Jake
Summary: Nack. Fang. Whatever you wanted to call him, he was the best at what he did. But even killers have rules. The question was; how much would it take to break them?


_A/N: I like to take these breaks from bigger stories I'm writing to post other stuff. Fang/Nack has always been a favorite of mine, and I thought I should write a story about him even if it's a short one. I'll write more stuff at the end of the story but I'll let you get to reading! Enjoy!_

_Fang/Nack and other characters all belong to SEGA/Archie  
_

* * *

**Professional Conduct**

"Are you sure about this, Darcy?"

The ferret rolled his eyes for what felt like the thousandth time that night. He stopped in the middle of the bustling streets of New Mobotropolis turned to his companion.

"How many times are you going to ask me that?" he snapped. "If I knew you were going to be this much of a wuss I wouldn't have brought you along."

"It's just…" the snow leopard paused, scratching the back of his head nervously.

"Just what, Conner?" Darcy wanted to know, resting his hands on his hips.

"Isn't this a little…extreme? We've never attempted anything like this before."

"And that's exactly why we haven't gotten anywhere," Darcy replied, resuming down the street. Conner sighed and caught up with him, avoiding bumping into the other Mobians out to enjoy the busy night life.

"Look, I'm not saying we shouldn't take chances, but there's a lot to consider here," the feline stated. "Our recruitment efforts haven't really paid off in case you haven't noticed. There are still only a dozen of us. Shouldn't we wait until we have a bigger faction? Won't we be taken more seriously?"

"No one is going to take us seriously, Conner," Darcy growled, pushing past a group of vixens who glared at the duo in passing. "That's why we need to do this. Once it's done, every rebel on Mobius will be begging to be part of the Red Shadows. Then we will have the power to take what we want."

"Yeah, but this…this feels like we're going too far."

Conner felt himself slammed up against the side of a building once the words left his mouth. Strangers passing by stopped to look at the ferret who had the cat pinned against the wall.

"There's no such thing as too far!" Darcy hissed. "There's no more room left in this world for hierarchies and nobility! Their time has come to an end but they won't relinquish the power to the people! I'm done with kings and queens, Conner. I'm done with bending a knee to those who were born into greatness. I'll do whatever is necessary to take back this city and see them pay for their arrogance and greed."

Darcy dropped him and turned on his heel, descending down the street again. Conner rubbed his shoulders before shaking his head and trailing after him.

The two traveled through the downtown area, passing the bright and colorful lights of various night clubs and attractions. Conner couldn't help but sneak a glance at the groups of young girls who walked by, dressed provocatively and laughing under the influence of alcohol. He wished he could join them. Instead, he was being dragged along to a destination he had no desire to go to and meeting with a character he wanted nothing to do with. But the stern and focused look on Darcy's face said that no matter what he felt, nothing would stop the ferret from going through with this. So Conner held in another sigh and kept his mouth shut as they continued along.

At some point, the streets became less occupied and the city began to lose the bright flashing lights. It became eerily quiet, and Conner could sense that they were getting close. This wasn't exactly the friendliest part of New Mobotopolis, and what better place to be when looking for an individual that matched the atmosphere. They went a few more blocks before coming to an old building at the intersection of a set of streets that had no names. The signs had been removed as had the ones on the building.

"This is it," Darcy said, stepping up the black wooden door that was presumably the entrance. "Wait out here," he told Conner.

"What? Why can't I come in?"

"Because, all he knows is that just one of us is meeting him here," Darcy explained, shooting him a stern look. "But I need you to keep your eyes and ears open for me in case there's any trouble."

"You realize who you're meeting with, right?" Conner asked, a nervous chill working its way down his spine. "If there's any trouble, you and I will be dead in a matter of seconds."

"Just keep a watch, alright?" Darcy growled through clenched teeth. Conner threw his hands up in disbelief that they were going through with this but conceded with a nod. Darcy narrowed his eyes at him but then opened the door and stepped in.

The first thing that hit him was the smell. Like a thousand cigarettes mixed in with vomit, and Darcy suppressed the urge to cough. Poor lighting cast the place in a dimly lit setting and he had troubles even making out the simplest things. Darcy rolled his shoulders and straightened out his vest before walking into the bar. The minute he entered, all eyes were on him few as there were. The ferret could feel the weight of them as he walked over to the bartender, and he was certain that a weapon or two was either being loaded or pointed at his back. He approached the bar and stepped up to a grizzled looking arctic fox.

"Two whiskeys," he told the bartender.

The fox eyed him cautiously but reached under the bar and set up two glasses. He poured the liquor in and set the bottle down, giving him another thousand yard stare. Darcy reached in his pocket and set down a couple of bills before picking up the two glasses and leaving. Looking around the bar, he only saw a few unscrupulous characters, none of which who he was looking for. It was then that he spotted someone sitting in a booth in the back corner, feet up on the table. Steeling his nerves, Darcy made his way over.

He came to a stop right beside the stranger whose face was hidden behind a brown fedora. He twiddled a bullet between his knuckles with impressive skill before flipping it into the air and catching it. His head tilted towards Darcy. He didn't speak, just remained where he was, silent as a ghost. Darcy slowly reached over and placed the glass of whiskey in front of him on the table. The stranger turned his head towards it before taking his feet off the table. He picked up the glass and it disappeared under his fedora before returning back to the table, a lesser volume of liquid now appearing. His head nodded to Darcy who sat on the opposite side of the booth.

"So," the stranger finally spoke. "You're the one looking for some _assistance_ in a matter?"

"That's right." Darcy nodded.

"And who are looking for assistance from?"

Darcy didn't reply right away. What did he mean? Shaking his head, Darcy replied with, "I'm afraid I don't understand."

"It's very simple," the stranger said, still not revealing his face. "There are two people available for hire. It just depends on the job."

"Like what?"

"If you're looking for sabotage, extortion, kidnapping, robbery; you get Nack. Jobs that require a more…_fatal_ outcome; you get Fang. So which is it?"

Darcy wasn't sure as how to reply to that. He knew the weasel went by two different names but he didn't know the significance to it. Was it some sort of split personality gimmick? That made him a little hesitant about this decision but the mercenary was the best of the best, and regardless of such a discovery, he knew which one was needed.

"I need Fang," he answered.

The fedora rose and he was greeted with the grinning face of Fang the Sniper. For a weasel, his features possessed a much more wolfish appearance. Sleek but powerful, a sense of cunning and intelligence hidden behind blue eyes. Darcy could not help but notice the large fang that hung over his bottom lip, the tooth as white as new fallen snow. Taking another drink, Fang leaned back in his seat and looked the ferret over.

"So," he began. "What is that I can help you with?"

"How good are you in getting into tightly secured areas?"

Fang narrowed his eyes at him for a moment but then shrugged. "You ever hear what happened to that United Federations diplomat who visited the city last year?"

"Yeah. The Royal Guard found him in his hotel room with his throat cut," Darcy said. Fang responded with a wink. _I guess that answers my question_, Darcy thought. "Well, what about-"

"Hey," Fang suddenly cut him off aggressively, his grin no longer present. "This isn't a job interview, so don't sit there and pretend you don't know what I'm capable of."

"I just want to be sure."

"If you weren't sure you wouldn't be here. Now get to the point or piss off."

Darcy frowned at him but it did nothing to deter the weasel's dark and sinister glare. Pausing to look around, Darcy reached into his vest and pulled out a manila envelope. Putting it on the table, he slid it over to Fang. Fang took another drink before setting his glass down and picking up the envelope.

"That's the target," the ferret said quietly.

Fang opened up the seal and pulled out a photograph. His blue eyes stared at it long and hard. Darcy waited for a response but received none. Fang continued to stare at the picture, a full minute almost passing by. Finally, his eyes rose and met Darcy's. The Red Shadows member held his hands out in question.

"Well?"

Fang continued to stare at him until he finally threw the picture down.

"No."

"No? What do you mean no?"

"Don't make me say it twice," Fang growled.

"I don't understand what the problem is," Darcy spoke hotly.

"There are a lot of problems with it. It's too big a risk for one. No one is that stupid to attempt something like this."

"Too big a risk? This from the merc who kidnapped the damn princess?"

"Kidnapping a royal family member is one thing, killing one is another," Fang retorted, partaking in his drink again. "If I was caught, I wouldn't get the luxury of a jail cell. I'd be executed where I stand."

"I'm sorry, I thought I was dealing with Fang the Sniper here," Darcy snorted. "The greatest mercenary and marksman on Mobius. But apparently I was mistaken and somehow offered a contract to someone who doesn't have a set of balls."

Fang chuckled and shook his head. "Nice try, but a shot to my ego isn't going to make me jump head first into a suicide mission."

"What is it then? The target? You think she's going to give you too much trouble?"

"You're asking me to break into Castle Acorn, something that I'm not even sure I could do, and _shoot a baby_." Fang held up the photograph which showed the infant daughter of King Elias and Queen Megan Acorn, Alexis.

"Shoot, stab, choke, I don't care," Darcy replied with disturbing ease. "Just as long as the brat's dead."

"Why?"

"It'll send a message," the ferret stated. "Not just to the Royal Family but to the entire world. That they have no power over us. That they're just as vulnerable as the rest of us. That they are no better than us. And once Mobians begin to realize that, they'll fall under the Red Shadows banner, and we will take this city back."

"Yeah, that's all fine and dandy," Fang said. "But I'm not going to kill a baby for your little utopian dream."

"For someone who kills for a living, I didn't think you possessed such a strong sense of morality."

Fang leaned on his elbows and smirked, tooth catching the light from a flickering source overhead. "Oh, I'm a killer, no doubt about it. I don't put much thought into pulling that trigger and ending someone's life," he told him. "But even _professionals_ like myself have rules. And I have one rule; no kids."

"How are they any different?" Darcy demanded to know.

"If you have to ask that, then there's no point in me trying to explain."

Darcy gritted his teeth in frustration. This was an unforeseen development. There was an urge to simply leave and find someone else who was willing to get their hands dirty. But Darcy knew that there was no one better than the weasel sitting across from him. Only he could pull off something like this. Looking around the bar, Darcy rested his eyes on Fang again who was waiting to hear what he had to say.

"How much will it take to break that rule?" he inquired.

"It's not just that," Fang answered. "It's the castle too. Security in a bank or a hotel is one thing, but Castle Acorn is practically a fortress. I'm the best but I'm not invisible, which is the only way you're getting in and out of there without being seen."

The other Mobian rubbed his forehead, his frustration increasing. An idea suddenly came to him as he placed his hands on the table, opened wide as if physically presenting the notion. "What if you didn't have to be in the castle?"

"Well, that would make things a hell of a lot easier, but that kid is rarely ever outside the castle walls."

"What if I told you there was a theater downtown that had a direct view of the castle? I walk by it all the time and all its windows are in sight. If you were to get to the roof, it'd be a good position for something more…long distance appropriate."

"How far away?"

"Twenty four, twenty five hundred yards maybe."

"That's a long ways," Fang muttered, finishing off his drink.

"You saying you can't do it?"

"I didn't say that. But that kind of accuracy isn't cheap. Not that it matters, I'm still not doing it. But it's nice to know there's a place out there I can use in the future."

Darcy clenched his hands into fists and barred his teeth. "Damnit, how much do you want?"

"Not interested."

"Rules were made to be broken! Name your price and you'll have it! I won't take no for an answer!"

Fang lowered his gaze down to the bottom of his empty glass. Darcy stared holes into him, wanting an answer and wanting the only one he would accept. Fang's face went through a series of twitches and tics, as if struggling with some sort of internal decision. The mercenary eventually placed his glass back on the table and leaned back in his seat. He tipped his fedora up slightly and set a stone like gaze on the ferret.

"What have you got?" he asked.

Darcy relaxed slightly and reached into his vest again to produce another envelope. This one was heavier and thicker than the previous one. Tossing it over to him, Darcy sat back and crossed his arms. Fang looked into the envelope before throwing it down in front of him.

"I want triple."

Darcy nearly fell out of the booth. "I'm sorry, did you say triple?"

"You want me to break my rule, so the price for that is _triple_."

The ferret opened his mouth to argue but quickly shut it. That amount of money was not in their possession nor would it be easy to obtain. But despite that, he said he would pay any price and if that's what he had to do to succeed then he would do it. He would figure out how to get the money later, but as of now, he had what he wanted.

"Triple it is then."

Fang put on that wolfish grin and took the envelope again. "Excellent. You won't mind if I keep this as a deposit, will you?" Darcy said nothing which only caused the weasel's smile to widen. Fang put his feet back up on the table and tipped his hat down over his face again. "I expect payment in three days. You can go now."

"When can I expect results?" Darcy questioned, standing up out of the booth.

"Tomorrow night," was all Fang said.

Darcy nodded and turned to leave. However, he turned back and offered the hired gun a skeptic and distrustful look. "I shouldn't expect any lapses in judgment when the time comes due to your previous rule, should I?"

"It's like you said," Fang grinned, peering up at him from under his fedora. "Rules were made to be broken."

* * *

"So it's happening tomorrow night?"

"That's what he said," Darcy sighed.

There was a collective murmur in the room that was filled with all twelve members of the Red Shadows. A possum stood up out of his seat and crossed his arms over his chest.

"How do we know he's going to go through with it? What if he took the money and ran?" he asked. Another murmur rippled out.

"He's a professional. He'll get it done," Darcy told them.

"And this won't come back to bite us in the ass?" an owl spoke up worriedly.

"Would you all relax?!" the leader of the gang roared. "It's going to be fine. He'll kill the kid and then we'll spread the word that it was us that did it. We'll have triple the followers by next week."

No one replied to that but Conner stood in the corner, trying to bite his tongue. It was a useless effort as he could no longer hold back, and he approached his leader.

* * *

"Up we go!"

Alexis Acorn gave out a squeal of delight as her father spun her around the room in his arms. Megan sat on the couch, laughing at the display. Elias held her up high and rubbed his nose in her stomach which brought forth another bought of delighted laughter. He then brought her close to his chest and kissed her forehead.

"Alright, my little one, it's time for bed," he smiled down at her. Alexis responded by grabbing his nose. Megan laughed again and took the little squirrel from her husband.

"I'm not sure if you've tuckered her out enough," she commented.

"She's too much like her mother. Full of energy and doesn't know when to quit."

"Watch it, _your Kingly-ness_," Megan jested and playfully poked him in the stomach.

Elias laughed and there was a sudden flash of green light to the left of them. A lynx in a purple toga stood at attention, smiling warmly at them. "Hello, King Elias. Queen Megan. I hope I am not disturbing you," she said.

"Not at all, Nicole," Elias waved. "We were merely getting Alexis ready for bed. What can I help you with?"

"The counsel has gathered and is awaiting your presence on some issues," Nicole told him. Elias sighed but nodded.

"Thank you, Nicole. Tell them I am on my way."

"Yes, your Majesty."

Another flash of green light and Nicole disappeared. Elias rubbed his eyes in discontent and Megan kissed his cheek. "Calm yourself, Elias. Everything will be fine."

"More meetings which means more political debates. I don't think I can hear another long winded rebuttal from that turtle, Gregory. Damn near puts me to sleep before he gets to the point."

Megan chuckled and leaned against him. "We'll take a walk tomorrow through the Royal Gardens. Just the three of us. Maybe that will help shut him out." He smiled at her and kissed her, gently caressing his daughter's head.

"I don't know what I would do without you two."

* * *

Fang set down his rifle into place.

He had first seconded guessed this spot but it turned out to be more than adequate. He could see everything through the scope and there were enough windows to provide additional sights if he needed them. Fang checked the rifle's clip and made sure there was a full set in there. He didn't expect to use the whole thing but better safe than sorry. Getting down on his stomach, the weasel positioned himself tightly in place, the butt of the rifle nestled snugly against his shoulder. Now all he had to do was wait.

In truth, he was supposed to do this tomorrow night, but seeing as it needed to be done, he might as well get it over with. It wouldn't make much of a difference anyway. He looked at his watch then peered into the scope. He aimed at one of the windows.

Any minute now.

* * *

"Is this seriously what we want?"

All heads turned towards Conner. The snow leopard approached Darcy and pointed a rigid finger at him.

"This is wrong, Darcy. It's wrong and you know it."

"Oh, spare me your bleeding heart, Conner," the ferret responded in disgust.

"I thought we were about bringing power back to the people, not killing infants."

"Desperate times call for desperate measures. It's the only way. You know that."

"Do I? Do you?" Conner debated. "Why does overthrowing the Royal Family have to result in death? Why the little girl? It's cold blooded murder is what it is!"

"Don't present yourself as being so noble, Conner!" Darcy yelled back. "Your hands are just as dirty as anyone else's! The Acorns will never give up their power willingly, so someone needs to force them to do it! If it means we have to snuff out some kid then so be it!"

"Is that what you all want?" Conner addressed the others. "Yeah, we're low lives, but do we want to be baby killers?"

"You're in this whether you want to be or not, Conner," Darcy stated. "You'll accept the same fate we all will."

* * *

Megan bounced her daughter in her arms as she made her way down the hall towards the nursery. Alexis mumbled some unintelligible words, eyes looking all around her. Opening the door and turning on the light, the room came to light, illuminating the bright colors and toys that filled it. Megan carefully stepped around them and made her way to the crib.

She went to put her down but the child fussed and made all sorts of sounds of protest. "Still not tired, huh?" Megan chuckled. Alexis looked up at her mother expectantly. This caused another giggle. "I don't think so, sweetheart. That's daddy's thing."

Again, the child protested.

Signing with a smile, Megan shook her head. "Okay, but just this once, okay?" Alexis burped and smiled widely.

Megan began to spin around the nursery with her child, outstretched in her arms. Alexis cried out in jubilation as she once again was able to experience her favorite thing. Around and around they went, laughter bouncing off the walls. Megan eventually came to a stop and began hold her up in the air much like her father had.

Right in front of the nursery's window.

* * *

Fang's grip tightened on the rifle. His target was in the scope's sights. Right in front of the window. He smiled, his namesake poking out over his bottom lip.

He pulled the trigger.

* * *

"What fate is that, Darcy?" Conner demanded to be told. "What if this doesn't work? What if the Royal Guard manages to track us down? Then what will be our fate?"

"I never figured you for a coward, Conner," Darcy spat. "We're fighting a war here, and there's no such thing as a clean war. The sooner you discover that, the better off you'll be."

The leopard shook his head. He made his way to the exit, everyone following him with his eyes. Before he got to the door, he stopped to face them.

"I won't be a part of this anymore. Anyone else who as disgusted by this as I am, now's your chance to leave."

"And go where?" Darcy laughed. "To live under the rule of the very people we want gone? Think it out, Conner. Don't be a fool."

"I was already a fool when I let myself sink so low to go along with this. I was already a fool when-"

Conner was interrupted by a sound that sounded like thunder and the window behind him shattering into thousands of tiny pieces. A spray of red burst from his chest before he fell to his knees and then crumbled on his side. There was a split second of silent shock before screams of terror rang out and the Red Shadows began to scramble.

There was another shattering of glass and two more bodies fell in bloody heaps. Darcy dove over a table as screams of pain and fear echoed around him. What was happening? Had the Royal Guard discovered their plan? Darcy covered his head as more bodies hit the floor. He looked up to see the possum from before make a dash for the door. He had gotten his hand on the door knob just as a bullet passed through the back of his head and he fell to the ground dead.

With his heart pounding in his ears, the ferret scurried to his feet and made his own attempt for the door. A jackrabbit had the same idea and they were neck in neck in a race to get to the exit first. Another loud clap exploded and the jackrabbit toppled head over feet. But Darcy managed to reach the door and flung it open, running out into the cool night air. He raced across the open space, gravel crunching under his feet and distancing himself from the old abandoned shack that had been used as their meeting house on the outskirts of the city.

Where were the shots coming from? There was a hill just to the left of the shack but he had no time to contemplate the matter. He just needed to make it to the edge of the treeline in the distance. He'd be alright then.

Thunder roared again and an unbelievable pain exploded in his side. The ferret's legs turned to jelly and he crashed into the gravel, rolling onto his back.

It was silent after that. Darcy stared up at the night sky, his lungs on pause as no breath could enter or leave his body. He finally gasped, air rushing in, and that's when it hurt. Darcy screamed loudly, his voice rising up over the trees and fading away. Never in his life had anything hurt so bad, and it seemed to only worsen with each passing second. But even through his screaming, he could hear the sounds of boots making their way towards him.

Closer and closer they came until finally they stopped, and the familiar wolfish face of Fang the Sniper appeared above him.

"You fellows are a bunch of amateurs, you know that?" he said, looping the strap of his rifle around his shoulder. "You leave a trail that even Bean could follow."

Darcy tried to speak but nothing came out but gasps of hot burning pain. Fang looked down at him and then at the hole he had put in the ferret's side. The marksman let out a low whistle and tipped his fedora up.

"Looks like the bullet tore through your spleen," he mused. "Unfortunately that's a slow death. You'll bleed out for a good long while, and if you think it hurts now, just wait another five minutes."

Darcy attempted another try at vocalization but could only croak out another cry of pain. Fang took off his fedora and knelt down next to him, shaking his head.

"Trying to talk just makes it worse. But I know what you wanna say. You want to know why." Fang spat off to the side and casually scratched behind his left ear. "I guess I owe you that much, I mean, I did just kill everyone in your little clubhouse and shoot a hole in you a mile wide, so it's the least I could do.

"You remember me telling you about my one rule? The same one I was willing to forget for the large sum of cash? Yeah, in case you haven't guessed by now, I lied. Sorry about that. My mother told me never to lie but I'm just so damn good at it," Fang laughed. "I never had any intentions of shooting that kid. In fact, I planned on taking your money and taking a little trip down to the Casino Zone, try my luck at the slots.

"But then I got to thinking. If I disappeared, what would stop you from finding some other individual to carry this out? Maybe you yourself would give it a try. Now, I'm a man who can appreciate the determination to get the job done, so I respect you for that. But…knowing you and your friends had a plan that involved the murder of a child? That didn't sit right with me. So, here we are."

Fang placed his hat back on his head and stood up. He stretched his neck until a satisfying pop was heard and looked back down at the dying ferret who wailed like a newborn.

"Oh, stop it," he snorted. "Be glad it was me who did you in. If it was my sister, she would have gutted you like a Thanksgiving turkey with that knife of hers. You got lucky." Readjusting his gloves, Fang tipped his hat at Darcy. "Well, it's been fun but I best be on my way. Many thanks for the target practice, friend. Always a good idea to stay sharp."

Darcy's hand reached up and grabbed a hold of the weasel's boot. Fang could see the desperate plea in his eyes to end his misery. He snarled in response and kicked away his victim's hand.

"You don't get to beg," he hissed darkly. "That baby wouldn't have had that chance so neither will you."

Fang then turned on his heel and walked away. He could hear Darcy scream over and over as the pain increased but he never turned back. The sharpshooter kept walking until the screams faded away. Fang trotted down the hill he had used for the assault and approached his bike, the _Marvellous Queen_. He removed the rifle from his shoulder and placed it in one of the bike's racks. Straddling the machine, Fang looked up to see the distant lights of New Mobotropolis and Castle Acorn even farther.

He idled for a moment, staring at the castle. His eyes lowered to the controls of the _Queen_ and bit the inside of his lip in thought. Shaking his head, Fang turned on the engine and took off through the trees and back towards the city. He supposed there was something heroic about what he did but he didn't give it much thought. There was nothing heroic about Fang.

When the kid grows up, and a similar opportunity presents itself again, it'll be a different story.

* * *

"Okay, now it's sleepy time, "Megan declared lowering Alexis back into her arms.

The tiny squirrel yawned, finally showing signs of fatigue and her mother smiled. Carrying her over to the crib, she lay her down, gently placing a blanket over her. Alexis mumbled something quietly and was soon fast asleep. Megan leaned over and kissed her forehead.

"Good night, my precious girl," she whispered. "I can't wait to see what the future holds for you."

Quietly backing out of the room, Megan cast one more loving glance at her baby before turning off the light and closing the door.

* * *

_A/N: I'm not sure why I wrote this story really. I guess I wanted a story showing Fang being the best at what he does. I also just watched the movie Leon, so I kinda had that in my head when writing this. The whole Fang/Nack thing wasn't really anything significant. I wanted to poke fun at the fact they always call him both and just thought it would be interesting if he used one identity when carrying out one crime and another for more deadlier jobs. Anyway, this was just a little oneshot I decided to do to shake things up and practice writing shorter stories. _

_In other Sonic related stories, I was really surprised by how many people enjoyed "Little Boys Don't Get Princesses". I wasn't expecting the amount of reviews, favorites, or follows it received. I also wasn't expecting the amount of people who wanted a sequel or another Tails/Sally story. So, given the feedback, I'm currently working on another one for you all. I've gone with a story idea separate from the LBDGP context, but in a similar vein. I hope to have it up sooner than later._

_Thanks for reading and we'll see you soon._


End file.
